Drop-cord-extension reel.



A. W. CARROLL & E. J. FULLER.

DROP CORD EXTENSION REEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. 1916.

1 1,243fl89. Patented 001.16,1917.

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A. W. CARROLL 84 E. J. FULLER.

DROP CORD EXTENSION REEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.28,1916.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

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ARTHUR W. CARROLL AND EDWARD J. FULLER, OF SEACWJILE, WASHINGTON.

DROP-CORD-EXTENSION REEL.

Application filed March 28, 1916;

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we. (1) ARTHUR W. CARROLL, (2) EDWARD J. FULLER,citizens of the United States, residing at Seattle,v in the county ofKing and State of lVashington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Drop-Cord-Extension Reels; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

The invention relates to a drop cord extension reel.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofdrop cords and to provide a simple, practical and comparativelyinexpensive drop cord extension reel of strong and durable constructionadapted to enable an electric light or other electric device to besupported in an elevated position out of the way when not in use, andcapable of permitting the extension cord to be unreeled to the desiredextent so that the I light may be supported at the desired elevation orcarried to the desired point for use.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed outin the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changesin the form, proportion and minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

In the drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drop cord extension reel constructedin accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, the reel beingshown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2, thespring actuated reel being partly in section.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4:4 of 2.

Fig. 5 is a detai sectional view illustrating the construction of thehead of the spring actuated reel and the brushes.

Fig.6 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit of the drop cord extensionreel.

Fig. 7 is a detail of one of the s rings.

Fi 8 is a detail view of the brac et plate.

Li e numeralsof reference designate cor- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

Serial N0. 87,237.

responding parts in the several figiues of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawing in which is llustrated the preferredembodiment of the nvention the drop cord extension comprises 1n itsconstruction, a casing 1 preferably of cylindrical form as shown but maybe of any other desired configuration as will be readily understood. Thecasing 1 which is provided at the front adjacent to its lowerportionwith the longitudinal slot or opening '2 for the passage of theextension cord 3 which may be constructed of sheet metal or any other,suitable material and it is provided with spaced ears 4 for enabling thecasing to be mounted in position.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing the casingis suspended by spaced flexibleconnections 5 to enable it to hang from a ceiling or other support atthe desired elevation but the said ears 4: may receive suitablefastening devices for permanently mounting the casing on any suitablesupport. The extension cord which is of usualconstruction consists oftwo insulated wires to which an electric lamp 6 is connected by asuitable socket 7 of the ordinary construction, but any other form oflamp or any other electric device may of course be connected with thecord, the extension. reel being designed to be proportioned to support alamp or device with which it is to be used.

The extension cord is adapted to be wound around a reel located withinthe casing and consisting of a hollow cylindrical body of hard rubber orother insulating material and provided at its ends with enlarged heads 9consisting of disks or spools and hard rubber having peripheral grooves10 in which are arranged annular contact members 11 consisting ofmetallic strips or plates and engaged by curved brushes 12. The annularcontact members are connected by suitable conductors 13 and 14 withbinding screws or posts 15 and 16 with which the wires of the secondcord are connected.

Thecurved brushes are provided at their upper ends with eyes 17 for thereception of hinge elements 18 preferably in the form of staples andadapted to be secured to a longitudinal overhead supporting member 19preferably consisting of a strip of insulating material extending acrossthe top of the reel lengthwise of the casing and secured at itsterminals to the end 20 of the casing in any suitable manner. Thebrusheswhich are hinged to the supporting member 19 are maintained in propercontact with the annular contact members by springs 21, suitably securedto the supporting member '19 and provided with spring coils 22 andhaving an approximately U-shaped terminal portion 23 for embracing thebrush. The brushes are connected by conductor Wires 24: with a plug 25mounted on the exterior of the casing 1 at the top thereof. Theconductor wires 24 extend along the supporting member 19 to the centerthereof and pass through an opening 26 in the same and are connectedwith a plug in the usual manner. Instead of employing a plug, a socketor other suitable connection may of course be provided for enabling thedrop cord extension to be connected with a suitable source of currentsupply.

The reel 8 is actuatedby a coiled spring 27 connected at its outer endswith areel at 28 and at'its inner end 29 with a rod 30 fitted at itsinner end ina socket 31 of a rod 32. The socket 31 forms a bearing forthe inner end of the rod30 which extends through one of the heads of thereel and has a flattened outer end 33 which engagesa recess in a bracketplate 34. .The rod 30 forms abearing for the adjacent end of the reeland the bracket plate 3% is suitably secured to the adjacent end of thecasing. The other rod 32 which is fixed to the head through which itextends is journaled in a suitable bearing 35 secured to the adjacentend of thecasing.

The rod 30 is stationary and when the extension cord is drawn outwardlythrough the slot or opening 2 of the casing, the spring 2'Zisplacedunder tension and is adapted to rewind the reel 8 and the drop cordthereon. The spring may be properly proportioned to the weight of thelamp 6 so that the lamp may be held at any desired adjustment by thefriction of the cord 3 against thelower wall of the slot or opening 2.An ordinary pawl similar to that of a curtain shade roller may beprovided for this purpose.

WVhat is claimed is 1. A drop cord extension including a casing havingan opening, a hollow spring actuated reel mounted for rotary movementwithin the casing and having enlarged heads,

located at its ends, annular contact members arranged on the heads, alongitudinally disposed supporting member mounted within the casing inspaced relation with the reel, curved brushes hinged to the supportingmember and arranged to engage the annuconductors supported by the saidmember and extending longitudinally thereof and connected with thebrushes, and an extension cord wound around the reel and extending fromthe casing.

2. A drop cord extension reel includingan outer casing provided with anopening, flexible means connected with .the casing at spaced points forsuspending the same at a predetermined elevation, a plug mounted on thecasing between the said flexible means, a spring actuated reel mountedwithin the casing and provided at its ends with heads having annularcontact members, a fixed longitudinally disposed supporting bar carriedby the casing and arranged in spaced relation with the reel, brushesmounted on the bar and arranged to engage the contact members of thesaid heads, conductors extending along the bar from the brushes to theplug, an extension cord arranged on the reel and extending through theopening of the casing, and separate conductors located within the reeland extending from the said cord to the contact members.

3. A drop cord extension reel including a casing having an opening, ahollow spring actuated reel mounted for rotary movement within thecasing and having enlarged.

heads, annular contact members arranged on the said head, alongitudinally disposed supporting member mounted within the casing inspaced relation with the said reel, hinged brushes secured to thesupporting member at the terminal portion thereof and engage the annularcontact members, approximately L-shaped springs provided at their angleswith spring coils and secured at one end to the supporting member andprovided at their other ends with curved terminal portions embracing thebrushes and maintaining the same in engagement with the annular contactmembers, conductors extending along the supporting member and connectedwith the brushes, and an exten sion cord arranged on the reel andconnected with the annular contact members.

In testimony whereoflwe affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ARTHUR W. CARROLL. EDWARD J. FULLER. Witnesses:

VICTOR SWANSON, MARIE MUELLER.

